Iowa Family Charged with Abusing 18-Year-Old Relative Found Weighing Only 70 Pounds

Four members of a rural Iowa family face serious charges after allegations of abducting and abusing an 18-year-old relative emerged. Gary Graham Jr., 44, Danielle Graham, 42, Aaron Williams, 20, and a 16-year-old girl from Zearing, Iowa, are accused of first-degree kidnapping and willful injury. The shocking case unfolded earlier this year when the victim was discovered in a horrific state at a Des Moines area hospital, weighing just 70 pounds, with multiple traumatic injuries including brain bleeding and broken ribs.

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the teenager had suffered from various injuries, indicating prolonged abuse, and severe malnourishment. The probable cause affidavit revealed disturbing details, including video evidence showing the victim restrained with athletic tape on his wrists and shackles attached to a bunk bed frame. Messages and search history on family members' devices suggested their awareness and participation in the abuse and malnourishment.

Danielle Graham reportedly told investigators that the teen, who had moved out of their residence in late November after turning 18, returned in a dire condition on January 26. The affidavit quoted her saying, "I thought he was dying" upon seeing him. The victim informed authorities that he had been frequently handcuffed to the bed, both day and night.

"These messages ranged from ‘Don’t hit him in the nuts anymore at [least] wait [until] swollen goes down’ and ‘hit him again and tell him to stop giving you dirty looks’ followed up by an additional message of ‘1 more time,'" the affidavit stated.

The accused family members, Gary Graham Jr., Danielle Graham, and Aaron Williams, are being held on a $1 million bond, while Kaitlynn Williams, the 16-year-old, faces a $500,000 bond, according to WHO13. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 29.

Story County Sheriff's Capt. Nicholas Lennie expressed shock over the case, stating, "It's tragic. It has our whole area in shock, and rightly so. It's not a common thing for one human being to treat another this way, let alone a family member."

The community of Zearing, with its 500 residents located about 50 miles north of Des Moines, has been stunned by the allegations. The house where the abuse allegedly took place sits at the end of a residential street, its doors adorned with stickers, and remnants of Christmas lights still visible. Despite attempts to reach out, no one responded to inquiries made by reporters.

As investigations continue, the defense attorneys for the accused are yet to be assigned, according to a supervisor for the public defender's office for Story County. The court has issued an order preventing the defendants from having any contact with the victim.
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